TGV InOui France - Espagne

ShowMeTheJourney has anticipated what questions are most often asked about travelling on these TGV trains and answered them below.

If you can't find the information you are seeking, you can ask a question by using the Travel Planning Service.

These trains have a theoretical top speed of 320 km/h (198 mph), but on the high speed lines, they typically travel at up to around 300 km/h.

Yes.

This is possible when booking Premiere, or Business Premiere tickets on SNCF Connect.
See the ShowMeTheJourney guide on how to book on SNCF Connect.

Yes - most of the seats can be rotated by station staff prior to the commencement of each jourmey.
So when booking tickets on SNCF Connect it shows forward facing seats as a default (but this can be switched).
See the ShowMeTheJourney guide on how to book on SNCF Connect.

See the guide to using rail passes in France and / or the guide to travelling by train in Spain.

The trains have a bar/ bistro service - see the Catering section below for more info.

Yes - for standard E.U. 2-point plugs

Yes - and more info on how to connect on the French part of the journey is available here.

You must be able to carry all your luggage alone at one time.

You can take either:

​2 suitcases​ + 1 hand luggage
OR
1 suitcase + 1 special baggage + 1 hand baggage

Your hand luggage can measure a maximum of 40 cm x 30 cm x 15 cm.

Your suitcase can measure a maximum of 90 cm x 70 cm x 50 cm​

Your special luggage (musical instrument, bicycle under cover, folded bicycle, scooter) can measure a maximum of 130 cm x 90 cm. Bicycles, musical instruments, and snowboards, skis, must be in a labeled cover.

More info is available on the SNCF Connect website.

Yes, they are housed on the lower deck in a Premier / 1st class coach.
More info is available on the SNCF Mobility Services guide.

Bike racks are available but spaces must be reserved prior to boarding.
When booking tickets on SNCF Connect you can add a bike symbol to the search, so will then see which departures have bike spaces available - taking a bike on board requires an additional ticket.
See the ShowMeTheJourney guide on how to book on SNCF Connect.

What’s also worth knowing is that you can’t book Premiére/1st class tickets for journeys by these trains if you want to travel with a bike; presumably because the bike storage on these trains isn’t adjacent to the Premiére Class seating areas.

One dog per person, non guided dogs are charged €7, smaller dogs must travel in containers, larger dogs must be muzzled.
More info is available on the SNCF Guide.

The high speed train service that crosses the France/Spain border to provide international daytime train journeys to/from Barcelona and Madrid is branded 'en coopéreation RENFE - SNCF'.
Not the most memorable name of a train service, they used to be known as 'Elipsos' services and SMTJ wishes they still were.

However, the name reflects the spirit of co-operation French railways (SNCF) and Spanish railways (RENFE) share the provision of the trains.

The French trains used for the service on the Paris - Barcelona route are 'EuroDuplex' trains - international versions of the double-decker TGV Duplex trains.

On the OTHER high-speed routes between France and Spain, Spanish AVE trains are normally used.

Seats will automatically be assigned when booking tickets for journeys by these trains.

Rail pass users will need to have made reservations prior to boarding.
The comparatively expensive fee for doing so depends on the distance you will be travelling, though the cost is likely to be cheaper than buying a separate ticket.

The price show above is for Paris - Barcelona journeys, but the fee will be less for shorter journeys such as Montpellier - Barcelona.

Something to note is that your rail pass only has to be valid in France OR Spain.
So if you will be travelling with a 'one country pass' valid for France, you can use it to add Barcelona to your itinerary.

Before arriving on the platform/track, check your ticket and find number of the coach in which your reserved set is located.
Then use the info screens on the platform/track, to check which zone you should wait in, for easy boarding into your coach.

The coach/carriage numbers can be hard to spot as they are on the electronic info panel set into the body work of the train by the door.
Each carriage/coach only has one door. It won’t open automatically there will be a button to the right of the door (when exiting the train you will also need to use the button to open the doors)

Whether you have luggage or not keep your ticket you where you can access it easily, so that you can check your seat number as you enter the seating saloon.
The coach numbers aren't included on the interior, so try and take your time and check that you are boarding into the coach in which your reserved seat is located.

Keep your ticket where you can access it easily, so that you can check your seat number as you enter the seating saloon.
As you step on to the train, look out for the easy to miss signs, located above your head, that indicate which seat numbers are on the lower and upper decks.

The sequence of numbers can seem illogical, so take your time.
The seat numbers are above the windows, by the lights.
What you won’t see is any indication of the stations between which the seat is reserved for, all you have to do is look for the seat numbers and match it to the seat number on your ticket.

If you don't have luggage with you, hang back and be amongst the last passengers to board.
All seats are reserved, so you won’t risk having no seat to travel in, and you can avoid being caught up in the scramble for luggage space.

The maximum luggage allowance = 2 suitcases/large bags + item of hand luggage per person.

If you are travelling 2nd class and have large items of luggage, don’t be tempted to locate your seat first, and then work out where to stow your luggage, because the space for stowing bagsis fairly limited within the seating saloons.
Only small suitcases, backpacks etc can on the above seat racks.
Though medium size bags will fit in the space between some of the seats.

In the 2nd class seating saloons there are two luggage racks.

However, on both the lower and upper decks you have to walk by the MAIN luggage racks to access the seating saloons.
If there's space on these racks then the advice is to make use of it - if you're prepared to accept that you won't be able to see your bags from your seat.

If you've entered by the door to the coach in which you seat is located, then the smaller luggage rack will be at the far end of the seating saloon.
However, if you'll be boarding an already busy train you'll be lucky to find space on this rack.

The lower decks have more areas in which bags can be stowed away, but if you are travelling 1st class avoid utilising the space set aside for wheelchair users.

There is generally more space in which to stow luggage in 1st class, in the 1st class upper deck there are racks in the middle of the seating area that can accommodate large items.

In addition to sockets by the seats, power sockets are also available in the platforms/vestibules between coaches, you are encouraged to use these spaces between coaches to make mobile calls.

Staircases link the lower and upper levels and there are toilets on both levels.
However, if you want to access the bar counter, then it’s easier to move through the train at the upper level, as the serving counter is on the upper deck.

The upper deck offers better views, as they enable passengers to see over the sound barriers that line much of the track, but if you are tall and sat by the window on the upper deck, take care not to bang your head on the ceiling when you leave the seat.

When booking tickets target the lower deck if you have luggage and/or if you are tall, the lower deck can feel more spacious.

There is no trolley service on these trains so you will need to go the bar coach if you want to purchase food and drink.

TGV Bar Menu (PDF)

Take care with food and drink, particularly un-opened bottles and drinks in cups and glasses. When the trains corner at high speed, drinks and food can fly off the table

Non-folding bikes must be disassembled and packed into a travelling case measuring no more than 120cm x 90cm.